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Table 5 Determinants of predominant breastfeeding among children less than 6 months of age in Nepal, 2013a,b,c

From: Determinants of infant breastfeeding practices in Nepal: a national study

Determinants

n

Predominantly breastfed, n (%)

Model 1 (Unadjusted PR)

PR (95% CI)

Model 3d

(Adjusted PR)

APR (95% CI)

Overall

458

262 (57.2)

  

Child factors

 Child’s gender

  Male

247

141 (57.1)

1.00

–

  Female

211

121 (57.4)

1.01 (0.86–1.18)

 

 Age (in months)

  0 to 1.9

127

94 (74.0)

1.00

1.00

  2 to 3.9

171

108 (63.2)

0.84 (0.73–0.98)*

0.86 (0.75–0.98)*

  4 to 5.9

160

60 (37.5)

0.50 (0.37–0.68)**

0.57 (0.42–0.77)**

 Child’s birth order

  First born child

228

118 (51.8)

1.00

–

  Second or later born child

230

114 (62.6)

1.18 (1.00–1.40)

 

 Breastfed within one hour of birth

  No

251

130 (51.8)

1.00

–

  Yes

205

130 (63.4)

1.23 (1.01,1.5)*

 

 Child fed colostrum

  No

73

43 (58.9)

1.00

–

  Yes

383

217 (56.7)

1 (0.83,1.19)

 

 Child fed prelacteal feeds

  No

305

214 (70.2)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

147

43 (29.3)

0.41 (0.29,0.57)**

0.45 (0.32,0.62)**

Maternal factors

 Mother’s education

  None

206

124 (60.2)

1.00

1.00

  Some primary

66

40 (60.6)

1.03 (0.83–1.28)

1.01 (0.82–1.26)

  Secondary and above

186

98 (52.7)

0.91 (0.73–1.13)

0.92 (0.76–1.13)

 Visit by FCHV for ANC

  No

397

222 (55.9)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

61

40 (65.6)

1.14 (0.91–1.42)

1.11 (0.90–1.38)

 Visit to health facilities for ANC

  No

127

65 (51.2)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

331

197 (59.5)

1.18 (1.00–1.40)

1.19 (1.02–1.38)*

 Visit by FCHV for postnatal care

  No

400

224 (56)

1.00

–

  Yes

58

38 (65.5)

1.26 (0.98–1.61)

 

 Visit to health facilities for postnatal care

  No

275

154 (56.0)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

183

108 (59.0)

1.12 (0.96–1.32)

1.00 (0.87–1.15)

Maternal knowledge present on

 Exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to 6 months of age

  No

152

80 (52.6)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

306

182 (59.5)

1.19 (1.03–1.39)*

1.19 (1.01–1.39)*

 Breastfeeding for children during diarrhea

  No

370

222 (60.0)

1.00

1.00

  Yes

88

40 (45.5)

0.72 (0.59–0.88)*

0.80 (0.66–0.97)*

 Women’s empowerment (scale: 0–14, Md = 5)

  < = 8 (less empowered)

377

212 (56.2)

1.00

–

  > = 9 (more empowered)

81

50 (61.7)

1.15 (0.93–1.42)

 

Household factors

 Ethnicity/Caste

  Upper caste

111

55 (49.6)

1.00

1.00

  Disadvantaged non-dalit Terai caste

156

100 (64.1)

1.26 (0.85–1.86)

1.38 (0.89–2.14)

  Janajatis

101

44 (43.6)

0.95 (0.66–1.36)

1.02 (0.75–1.39)

  Lower castee

90

63 (70.0)

1.48 (1.09–2.00)*

1.47 (1.02–2.12)*

 Household wealth quintile

  1 (Poorest)

79

53 (67.1)

1.00

1.00

  2

91

47 (51.7)

0.66 (0.49–0.91)*

0.68 (0.51–0.91)*

  3

86

50 (58.1)

0.77 (0.61–0.99)*

0.79 (0.62–1.00)

  4

100

61 (61.0)

0.82 (0.64–1.05)

0.87 (0.7–1.07)

  5 (Richest)

102

51 (50.0)

0.71 (0.49–1.04)

0.79 (0.58–1.08)

 Household head’s education

  None

205

122 (59.5)

1.00

1.00

  Some primary

102

51 (50)

0.85 (0.69–1.05)

0.98 (0.8–1.19)

  Secondary and above

151

89 (58.9)

0.99 (0.82–1.19)

1.14 (0.94–1.37)

Community level factors

 Agro-ecological zones

  Mountain

83

52 (62.7)

–

1.00

  Hill

116

47 (40.5)

 

0.67 (0.49–0.93)*

  Terai

259

163 (62.9)

 

1.06 (0.76–1.48)

  1. aFor interpretation purposes, a PR > 1 indicates children were more likely to be predominantly breastfed and PR < 1 indicates children were less likely
  2. b*P-value < 0.05, **P-value < 0.001
  3. c(Model 2 shown in Additional file 4)
  4. dModel 3 included mother’s education and visit by FCHVs for ANC as a priori covariates plus all variables that were significant (p < 0.2) in the first set of multivariable models
  5. e“Lower caste” includes Dalits and religious minorities
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International Breastfeeding Journal

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